To the Editor:
As an urban legislator who represents one of the poorest districts in the General Assembly, I cast a proud vote against the omnibus Housing Bill HB 5002, during the recently concluded legislative session.
I was not the only urban legislator who voted against this ill-conceived exercise in top-down centralized planning.
I take strenuous exception and am personally insulted by the vicious attack leveled by Alma Rutgers against CT169 and its leadership, in her article of June 22, 2025, in the CTPOST.
I deeply appreciate the concern, the thoughtful analysis, and expertise which CT169 brought to the legislative process. I make no apologies for joining them in their effort to convince Governor Lamont to veto this bill, which is flawed in more ways than I can count.
During her hysterical claims that the ‘sky-will-fall’ if the bill is vetoed, Alma Rutgers glosses over the fact that the experts retained by OPM to develop a methodology to determine regional housing needs and fair share allocations, did not issue their report until May 19, 2025, two weeks before the end of the session.
Does she really believe that anyone thoughtfully and deliberately reviewed the material contained in the report produced by the Portland, Oregan consulting company, ECONorthwest, before incorporating it into the language of the bill?
Is there any wonder that people have lost trust in their government?
It is obvious to me that Alma Rutgers, writing from the rarefied air of Greenwich, has absolutely no conception of the challenges and obstacles faced by my constituents on the streets of Hartford.
For example, HB 5002 prevents, in most cases, a municipal planning and zoning commission from mandating minimum off-street parking requirements in residential developments.
The hidden agenda in this provision is to increase housing density, along with the profits of out-of-town developers, while placing additional burdens on the quality of life enjoyed by my constituents. No Connecticut city has a mass transit system like Boston or New York.
Where will my constituents find a place to park after a trip to the grocery store, coming back from a medical appointment with their children or coming back from a hard day’s work?
Certainly not in Alma Rutger’s driveway or those of her upscale neighbors!
Another example of top-down planning is the “as of right” conversion of commercial property to residential dwellings contained in the bill. This allows a developer to obtain over the counter approval of a project behind closed doors where politics reigns supreme and transparency is non-existent.
This provision eliminates the requirement of a public hearing necessary for the approval of a special permit by a Planning and Zoning Commission. All special permit applications are subject to a public hearing.
This one-size-fits-all approach may not impact the Alma Rutgers’ of Greenwich, or those who live high above the high-water mark, but my constituents will drown in a sea of development without their consent.
Perhaps, Alma Rutgers does not value the ability of Connecticut citizens to influence their zoning commission through the special permit process. I can tell you that those of us in the poorer, more densely populated areas of Connecticut take our right to participate and be heard seriously and know that this right is impacted by HB 5002.
In 29 years as a member of the General Assembly, I have grown weary of the elitist central planners and limousine liberals using my constituents as an excuse to virtue signal and to disenfranchise elected municipal officials, in the name of progress.
This bill does not meaningfully or realistically address the day-to-day challenges confronting my constituents living in poverty. It does, however, ease the conscience of those living in comfort.
I hope Governor Lamont will listen to the voice of average citizens and will veto this legislation, while at the same time taking meaningful steps to confront the need to provide safe, clean and affordable housing for all Connecticut citizens.
Hon. Minnie Gonzalez
Assistant Deputy Speaker Pro-Tem
Connecticut House of Representatives
State Representative, District 3